World Rugby Asked To Consider Reducing Legal Height For A Tackle
Latest posts by Will Matthews (see all)
- Bad news for Craig Casey and more as Munster Rugby issue squad update - December 16, 2024
- Irish Rugby post cryptic contract signing that has everyone talking - December 15, 2024
- Ireland set to receive massive boost ahead of the Six Nations - December 15, 2024
Tackle low.
World Rugby has been asked to consider reducing the legal height for a tackle, after a study revealed that the most commonly reported match injury in English Rugby was concussion for the seventh consecutive season.
The Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project , jointly commissioned by the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby, with the support of the Rugby Players’ Association, reported injury data for the 2016-17 season on Monday.
22% of injuries reported were concussion related, with the report suggesting World Rugby’s new zero tolerance approach to contact with the head (introduced in January 2017), made “no difference” to the incidence of all injuries and concussion.
“We would like World Rugby to give consideration to thinking about reducing the legal height for the tackle.” RFU medical services director Dr Simon Kemp said.
“There’s very little margins for error with the permitted height of the tackle at the line of the shoulders.
“It’s for World Rugby to consider and we know they’re doing that at the moment.”
Of the 169 concussions reported, 22 players suffered more than one concussion. One player suffered four and one player three. Concussion accounted for 43 percent of injuries to the tackler and 19 percent to the ball carrier.
